The Chocolate Challenge
by KricketWilliams
Summary: In order to save her relationship, Penelope decides to give up on her one true vice: chocolate. Will a certain choclate god change her mind? Written for the CCOAC resolution challenge. As usual, I don't own anything.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: And here is finally is! My entry for the CCOAC resolution challenge...which will coincide nicely as my Valentine's story this year, too! *Squee!* It is nice when things work out just the way you want them to!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

_"Ohhh…ohhhhhh!"_

That was the third time Derek had heard that breathless moan through the paper thin walls of his office. Well, not exactly the same moan. The first time, it was a definite _Ooooh_, and the second was an _Mmmmm_. It was doing strange things to his libido.

His Baby Girl was really enjoying something over in her lair…

In the course of seven years, Derek had made Penelope laugh, he'd made her angry, and he'd made her cry—unintentionally for sure on the last one, but he had done it. What he hadn't done was make her sound like that.

"Oh, God, _yes_!"

That was it. He needed to go over there and find out what the deal was. Whatever was giving her that much pleasure had to be investigated.

He pushed away from his desk and then stood. Looking down with disgust, he readjusted his trousers and shook his head. It had been far too long since he'd been with a woman. Penelope normally turned him on—she had from almost the moment they'd met—but usually not quite this rapidly. Sure, she was a gorgeous, curvy bundle of sexiness, but she was also taken—quite happily, from what he knew. That made him pause as he reached his doorway. Lord, he prayed that Lynch wasn't the one making her utter those delicious noises. He'd have to gouge his eyeballs out and scour them if that was what was happening.

Watching hot Garcia sex? That would be a _hell__,___ yes__. Watching hot Lynch sex? _Hell__,_ _no_.

Sadly, those two went hand in hand and _had_ been hand in hand for nearly the past four years. He wished it wasn't true, but he'd learned a long time ago that wishing, hoping, and praying didn't get him what he wanted…and he wasn't the kind of guy that chased after someone who didn't want him.

Unfortunately, that didn't mean that his dick listened to him. His rational side was fine with their long friendship and sincere love for one another, but his physical side craved that woman.

Shaking his head for being a glutton for punishment, he walked over to the office next door and peered in the open doorway. Garcia was sitting in her chair, facing her computer screen. On the screen was the image of a dancing baby wearing a New Year's top hat and sash, which was obviously not what she was oohing and ahhing over. He then noticed an unwrapped bar of Lindt Chocolate Truffle.

"Ohhhh," she moaned again and then made a smacking sound with her lips, proving that she was devouring said truffle bar.

Leaning against her door frame with one shoulder, he crossed his ankles and watched the show. She had somewhat of a ritual for eating that chocolate. First, she broke off a piece, sniffed it like it was a rare rose, holding her breath for just a moment before letting it out in a sigh of ecstasy. Next, she fingered it lovingly, touching the smooth, chocolatey texture. Lastly, she closed her eyes and popped it into her full mouth, licking her lips before releasing that not so subtle moan.

It had to be the most sensual thing he'd ever seen. Derek had to uncross his ankles at the reaction his body was having. He wanted to be that bar of chocolate so badly…

She opened her eyes and turned in her chair. "Love bug! What are you doing here?"

He cleared his throat and then adopted a teasing smirk. "Enjoying yourself a little bit, sweetness?"

Amazingly, she looked uncomfortable. Her cheeks flushed and she looked down. "I know. It's shameful, isn't it?"

_Shameful?_ No, that wasn't the word he thought of watching her making love to that chocolate. Hell, no.

"I wouldn't say that, baby."

"Oh, yes," she said, her eyes wide and guilt stricken. "It is shameful, Derek. I have an addiction. Like heroin or crack, I have an addiction."

He would've laughed if she hadn't looked so panicked. "Baby, that's a little dramatic, don't you think?"

"Derek, I ate two of these today," she replied, holding up the now empty wrapper. She gave it a shake. "Look at it! Servings: four! I had _eight _servings, and I couldn't help myself."

He stepped into her lair, dragged a chair over, and sat down. "Sugar, that's not that bad. Normally, you don't do that—"

She shook her head vehemently. "Yes. Yes, I do. It's my one true vice, Hot Stuff. I have to give it up. I _have_ to."

"Sweetheart—"

"Kevin came over to my apartment yesterday," she whispered, sounding so shamed, he knew whatever she was going to say wasn't going to be good. "We were supposed to go for dinner, but I wasn't hungry. I told him I didn't feel like it.

"When he sat down on my couch, he saw my garbage can…" She stared forward bleakly, looking numb.

He squeezed her hand. "Go on, baby."

She turned to face him with tears in her eyes. "It was full of Dove chocolate wrappers. Full. I'd eaten half a bag after work yesterday."

Yesterday had been a terrible day. The case they'd worked on hadn't turned out well, ending in a blaze of glory and three dead victims. Not a banner day for the BAU team.

"Penelope, that's understandable."

"No!" she snapped and then tugged her hand away and wiped at her cheeks. "Angelfish, you don't understand. I had plans for dinner with Kevin, and I chose the chocolate over him."

"Baby, you did not."

"He was so angry, he left!" she cried.

Derek had to fight rolling his eyes. Good grief, that's what this was all about. Lynch making her feel guilty because she didn't go out with him instead of being there to support her like he was supposed to. What the hell was wrong with that stupid ass?

"Honey, that's—"

She put her hand up to stop him. "Well, I have decided. I am giving up this vice. I am stronger than the cocoa bean, stronger than Godiva, stronger than Milton Hershey and his legacy. I no longer need chocolate in my life." She paused for as second, smiled at him, and said, "Except for you, my carob coated cutie."

Derek sighed. "Garcia. I don't think you need to do that."

"Yes, I do," she stated firmly. "It is my New Year's resolution: to kick the chocolate craving to the curb and be done with this, once and for all."

"All right, baby. If that's what you really want."

"Oh, it is!" she exclaimed, sounding rather excited. "It will show Kevin I love him more than I love Cadbury Cream Eggs."

Derek winced a little. Damn, those things were sickly sweet. Even he loved Lynch more than those.

She reached over and squeezed his hand. "Derek…will you help me?"

Inside, his stomach roiled. He didn't want to help her win back the affection of Lynch. She deserved better than the man in the first place. However, if Garcia wanted help with this "wicked" addiction, he'd help her.

Sucker that he was.

"Okay, angel. I'll keep an eye out for you."

"_You're_ the angel." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "My guardian angel."

Derek groaned internally. What had he gotten himself into?


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: Thanks so much for the reviews, alerts, and favorites, lovely people!...Whoo hoo! CM night is here, and just in time I am feeling better...Hopefully the powers that be will cash in on the obvious chemistry of our pair tonight... Now here comes chapter two..._

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

It was one week into Penelope's forced exile from the one true love of her life...

M&Ms.

Well, that was how she felt that evening. All week, she'd been stellar, not even getting mocha lattes because they had chocolate in them. However now, sitting on her couch on a Friday night, her laptop open to her email, she could feel the craving for chocolate coated goodness rising and taking over.

What was strange was that three hours ago, she wasn't at all interested in eating anything. She was getting ready to go to a fringe art festival based based on Rock and Roll, with artwork by Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead, John Lennon, and a whole bunch of other rock stars. She'd been so excited, she'd barely been able to contain herself the last few hours of work.

Running home, she'd donned her English flag shirt, her distressed denim jacket, and a flouncy, short skirt that sort of looked like Madonna might have worn it back in the _Like a Virgin_ days. She'd done her hair with crimps and curls and had makeup that was flashy and fun. She'd just been fastening on her large hoop earrings when Kevin had called...

"_Hello?"_

"_Ah, ah, ah, chooo!" was the response to her inquiry._

"_Kevin?" _

"_Hi, Pendy," he said, obviously really stuffed up._

_Knowing she sounded like __she'd__ won the Nobel prize for asking obvious questions, she said, "Feeling sick, huh?"_

"_Terrible," he responded. "I'b going to stay in bed all weekend."_

_Her heart sank, and then curiosity struck. "You didn't sound as sick at work __today..."_

"_I was faking feeling good then," he replied quickly. "Oh, I have to go. I feel another...ah...ah...chooo!"_

"_Feel better soon," she said._

_She heard him blow his nose loudly. "Thanks, Pendy. Bye."_

Immediately, she'd known her plans were shot. Em was out of town, JJ was taking Henry to visit her aunt, and Reid had a seminar, so there was no one that could go with her. She'd thought, of course, of asking Morgan, but he would've balked at that kind of thing. Not only that, he was probably out with the _hussy du __jour_ he usually dated on Fridays.

She started taking off her carefully thought out ensemble and put on her fuzzy kitty face pajama pants and tank top with a smiley kitty face on it. Then she scrubbed her face clean of its layers of artfully applied makeup and tossed her hair in a scrunchie. After that was settled, she fixed herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, steeped a cup of chamomile tea, took her seat on the couch next to Jupiter, her kitty stuffed animal Morgan had won for her, and then she almost immediately began craving chocolate.

She growled to herself, shutting her laptop and standing up. She paced back and forth, determined not to give up and eat chocolate. She was stronger than that—like a mighty oak in the forest. Nothing was going to make her yield.

However, as time turtled by, her cravings grew worse and worse. She tried eating a celery stick, a piece of cheese, an apple, even a can of peas, because Reid had said they had the same compound as her beloved cocoa plant...but nothing compared to the smooth richness of chocolate that melted on her tongue and calmed her—and unfortunately cursed her, as well.

She paused in her pacing and looked at herself in her bathroom mirror. "You can do this, Garcie. I'm mighty woman; hear me roar! I don't need it. I don't need anything...I can _do_ this."

_But a simple chocolate chip would taste so good,_ the devil on her shoulder, with his milky, dark chocolate voice, said. _Just one chip_...

"Argh!" she exclaimed, knowing when she'd been beat.

Quickly nabbing her cell from her bedside table, she darted down the stairs, past Mrs. Brown and her poodle making their last potty visit of the night, and called her emergency backup.

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><p>Derek was dancing with Tonya, or Tenisha, or something like that with a T, when he felt his cell phone in the pocket of his jeans vibrate. Derek chose to ignore it. After all, the woman was about to place her sweet and ample fanny—he liked his girls a touch on the meaty side—against his denim covered crotch in the club, like just about every other couple in the club was doing.<p>

It had been a rough week. The Unsub they'd chased was even more of an SOB than usual, Prentiss' mother had been hospitalized and Em had understandably flown to be by her side, so they were down an agent, and Garcia, the source of sweetness and light in his world, had been cranky because of her lack of chocolate. He knew it was tacky as hell to let some woman he didn't know fawn all over him and offer more than he'd accept, but he felt he was due for some compassion from somewhere.

She was just about to back into him when he felt the vibration again. Dragging his phone out of his pocket, he saw that it was Garcia. He placed his hands on the woman's hips. "Ah, Tracy?"

Looking over her shoulder with a perturbed look, she said, "I'm _Susan_."

_Whoa...wrong letter..._

He held up his phone and gave a sheepish look. "Sorry, I gotta get this."

She harrumphed and said with disdain, "Your loss."

"Yeah, Baby Girl, what's up?" he shouted over the music, heading toward the back exit of the club where the smokers usually hung out. Sure enough, once he reached the doors, he had to wade through a throng of nicotine addicted people to get to a place where he could both breathe and talk.

"Hot Stuff, I am sorry I have to bother you, but I didn't know where else to turn!" she cried.

"Angel girl, slow down," he said, plugging one ear and moving even farther away from the echoing music.

"I feel terrible," she sniffled. "I can hear music in the background, and I know you are having fun getting your groove thang on, and—"

Derek thought about Susan with her mighty ass and the rest of the meat market. It had been a hot and sweaty mob of people that were all after the same thing, and he really wasn't that interested. It was odd to realize he hadn't been having that much fun. Come to think of it, he'd much rather be standing out in a parking lot, talking to Penelope.

_Damn_, he was getting old!

"Hot Stuff, you there?"

"Yeah, baby," he said, shaking himself out of his thinking. "So, what has you so upset?"

"Chocolate!" she cried so desperately, he didn't dare laugh.

"What about chocolate? Did you accidentally have a chocolate covered raisin?" he asked, testing by teasing lightly.

"No!" she said quickly. "I haven't had any, but now I want to eat a barge full of chocolate. I want stock in Hershey's so I can open a Quantico plant all for me. I want a bunny that poops Cadbury mini eggs, I want—"

"Settle down, sweetheart," he interrupted, smiling despite himself. He opened his car door and climbed in. "What makes you suddenly want all that chocolate?"

She paused for a second, and he could tell she was obviously thinking.

"I...I don't know," she answered, sounding perplexed.

"Well, why don't you go through your night, and then we'll figure out what triggered this," he said reasonably.

"Okay," she said. "I was getting ready to go out to an art show with Kevin. A gallery of abstract rock art that is in town for a couple of weeks."

"Barrel of laughs, there," he teased. Two things he couldn't stand: Kevin and abstract art. Both were totally useless to his existence.

She snickered. "I _so_ knew you were going to say that."

"How'd you know that?"

"I know _you_, sweet pea," she said back confidently.

He wasn't going to argue that; she did.

"Anyway, what happened next?" he asked, leading her to continue.

"Kevin called and canceled," she said sulkily. "He's sick."

"Poor Baby."

"Me or kevin?"

He smiled as he growled, "Garcia..."

"So I slipped on my jammies—"

"Which ones?" he asked. Derek knew her pajamas pretty well; they'd watched tons of movies together over the years.

"The pink ones with the kitties on the bottom and my smiley kitty face tank."

Derek closed his eyes and leaned back against the leather of his seat. What that girl did to a tank top was a thing to behold. "I love that set," he said huskily.

"You do?" she asked, which alerted him that he'd spoken aloud.

He chuckled and answered honestly, "I do. Now, what's next..."

She took a deep breath and then began a story that led to them talking for the next hour and a half on the phone. They veered off, like they always did, on all sorts of other tangents—work, food, her clothes, his sports...Prentiss' mom, even—which was the norm for them whenever they talked.

They talked so long, couples were starting to leave the bar. Sonja—or whatever her name was—left with a short, balding man with an overhanging gut. He snickered to himself. Seemed to be _her_ loss, not his, after all.

When Penelope yawned, he said, "Baby...you still want chocolate?"

She giggled. "No. I just had almost two hours of the sweetest chocolate ever."

"No need to overindulge, huh?"

"No," she said with a laugh, and then murmured, "Thank you, my prince."

"You're welcome, Baby Girl."

They were in synch when they closed their phones, ending the conversation.


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: Thanks so much for the reviews, folks...I know, CM ended up being not quite what I was hoping for last Wednesday, BUT...I have faith and I have fanfiction *smile*...Remember: no matter what the writers of CM have them say and do, I think we understand them...and we know where their hearts **truly** belong...So let's relax, hope for Kevin to fall off the planet *wink*, and enjoy the fun in the tease...I love you guys!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

"The office of the oracle," Penelope answered as she typed, her magenta feather-topped pen caught between her teeth. "Ask, mere mortal, and your wish shall be granted."

"Mere mortal?" From his tone, she could practically see the questioning arch of his brow. "We both know better than that."

She grinned and removed her pen. "But of course, chocolate god." She paused for a second and bit her bottom lip in thought. "Hmm…perhaps I should change that nickname? After all, chocolate is off limits."

"Oh, hell, no," he answered quickly. "I'm the good for you variety."

"Sweet?" she teased.

"You know it."

"Eh…I'm not so sure," she argued playfully. "Are you healthy?"

"Almost ninety-five percent fat free," he said proudly.

Penelope knew he was about six percent body fat. He'd run an iron man triathlon last summer, and she'd been there when he had his measurements and to cheer him on. He was disgustingly fit.

"Mmm, I don't know," she drawled, continuing to mess around. "Fat free products are usually bland and boring."

"Not me," he answered. "I'm every bit as satisfying as your other chocolates…maybe even more."

His voice had dropped another octave, a low rumbling purr that promised much and taunted her like he always did. A riot of goose bumps tingled throughout her body, and her overly sensitive nipples rose in response. She groaned internally…not a good response to have for your platonic, unreachable best friend.

Frustration made her a touch snippy in her reply. "Sorry, Hot Stuff. Can't do it. Too addicting."

"That's not fair, sugar," he answered calmly with a cajoling tone. "I can be addicted to your sweetness, but you can't be to mine? C'mon, be nice, sweet P."

She smiled despite herself. "Not so sweet anymore, I'm afraid, since I am lacking chocolate."

"Funny you should say that. It's why I'm calling."

Frowning, she asked, "To give me chocolate?"

Chuckling, he said, "In a way."

"Derek—"

"I'm giving you me," he announced, and then added, "with popcorn and Twizzlers©, at the movie theater tonight."

Penelope didn't even need to think twice. "Oooh! What are we seeing?"

"Seriously? I don't even know what's playing," he answered honestly.

She was leaning back in her chair, twirling her pen when he said that. She giggled. "Silly. Why do you want to see a movie, then?

"To be with you, of course."

Penelope's heart skipped a beat, and she sighed happily. She turned back to her keyboard. "Let me see what's playing…Okay…there's three action-slash- adventure movies, one with a British dude, one with a has been—"

"And one with a has been British dude?" Derek asked teasingly.

She laughed again. "There's two romantic films—"

"No," he interrupted. "I won't stay awake for that. Got up too early."

Penelope snorted soundlessly. Even If he'd slept two days straight, he'd still fall asleep during the romances.

The next one on the list was in the horror genre. She skipped over it. "Ah! Here's one that looks good. It's an Oscar contender, and it has a little of everything. Action, romance, adventure, drama."

"Oscar contender," he said with a sniff. "That doesn't mean anything."

She ignored him and began to read. "_Across__ the Miles_. Two daring adventurers set out on a journey across four continents in search of a lost artifact and find themselves instead in this sweeping, lush tale with incredible cinematography."

"Sounds okay," he grumbled. She knew it was a go. He always made decisions about movies that way—begrudgingly, like it was going to be torture…and then he ended up loving most of the movies they'd seen together. "What time is it playing?"

"It's two hours long, and it plays every two hours on the even hours at the Fairmont near your place," she answered.

"How about the Seville near your place?" he asked, and then explained, "It's going to be late when we get out; I want to pick you up and bring you home."

"One sec…" She scanned her screen. "Every two hours on the odd hours."

"Okay," he said. "Pick you up at six-thirty."

"I'll be ready."

"I'd better get back to work," he said. "See you later, Baby Girl."

"Derek?" she said, waiting for him to respond.

"Yes, P?"

Smiling brilliantly, she said, "You really are sweeter than a chocolate bar."

She heard his chuckle before she disconnected. "Bye, silly girl."

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><p><em>That stupid internet movie reviewer was a big fat liar! <em>Penelope thought as she sat in the theater next to Derek.

Well, maybe not a liar, but he did omit a lot of facts about the movie. Like the fact that it was tense—nail biting, jaw clenching, riveting tense. Penelope couldn't take her eyes off the screen; she didn't want to miss anything.

It was well written and acted superbly. As an actress herself, she lived for parts like this. She was becoming emotionally invested in the characters. Sam and Krista were so likable and had such incredible chemistry. They were frenemies, antagonists in competition, and yet the spark between them was undeniable and they understood each other. She was rooting for their happily ever after—that they would find the Egyptian relic together and share it.

And then Sam fell…and was wounded…badly wounded.

"_Sam!" Krista cried, sliding down the rock wall to where her…friend was laying. She surveyed his __body and__ saw a large stick had penetrated through his chest. "Oh, Sam!"_

Penelope could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, and she swallowed hard.

_Sam, played by the hottest Hollywood heartthrob there was, looked up at her. "Krist…Krista."_

_Krista tried to staunch the bleeding with her hands. "Please, Sam. Don't talk. I'll get you out of here…"_

"_Krista…it's too late…"_

"_No, Sam!" she cried, a tear rolling down her tanned cheek. "You'll live…"_

"_Fnd the relic," he whispered, bringing a shaky hand up to wipe that tear away. "Find it…for me."_

_Krista clutched his hand to her cheek. "I will."_

Tears burned in the back of Penelope's throat, and her nose stung with the need to cry. She didn't have a dang tissue, either.

"_Krista…kiss me goodbye." Sam's eyes grew glazed from pain and impending death, and yet he smiled softly at his leading lady. "Just this once."_

A crescendo in the music had Krista leaning down, kissing the nearly lifeless body of Sam Archer, explorer extraordinaire, and had Penelope Garcia bawling. Not only that, she was starving…for chocolate covered raisins or Snocaps® or something like that. If she had some chocolate, her heart wouldn't hurt so much. Right now, it felt like it was going to burst in her chest.

Just as she was about to rise from her seat, she felt Derek's hand move over and tap her arm. She looked over at him, tears streaming down her face.

Derek smiled softly at her, rather like Sam smiled at Krista. He had a napkin in his hand; he started wiping away her tears gently. "Hush, baby…It'll be okay…"

Feeling much better, she smiled a watery smile back at him. Taking the napkin from him, she finished the job and then looked forward at the movie again.

A moment later, Derek picked up her hand, kissed her fingertips, and then intertwined his fingers with hers. Penelope leaned closer and held on tightly, any need for chocolate long gone.


	4. Chapter 4

_AN: Thank you for the reviews, words of encouragement and support, and for sticking with the ship and my story...You all are so wonderful...Tee hee..."Cannon" girl that I try to be, I worked some recent stuff into this chapter...(*sigh* It would be so _easy_ to put them together!...)_

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

It had been nearly a month since she'd started this challenge, and Penelope still hadn't eaten any chocolate. She was starting to believe very strongly that she could give up her favorite thing, thanks to her very helpful coach and best friend, Derek.

Much like at the beginning, she found herself having strong cravings some days, but she would simply call him up, and he would find a way to take her mind off of her needs. He was really a wonderful friend, although he thought the whole objective of giving up something she cared about was kind of ridiculous. He'd reiterated that last night...

"_Baby, if it brings you pleasure, how can it be wrong?" he asked while at the gym one night. It was __commonplace__ for her to go along, work out for a half hour, and then watch as he finished his much longer, more strenuous workout. He loved her conversation, and she...well, she liked the floor show._

_Exhausted, he plopped on the bench next to __her and used__ the towel to wipe the rivulets of sweat off his face. As he reached behind his neck, she nabbed the towel from him to __help and__ began drying him off. He was so beautifully made: the swells of the muscles on his back, the dips and valleys that begged to be touched..._

_Realizing she was paying more attention to the task at __hand than to his__ question, she quickly answered, "Ah, my dulcet defined-deltoid darling, it is like crack to me. That brings pleasure to crackheads, and__—"_

_His snort interrupted her. "Hardly in the same category, sugar momma."_

"_Not really," she contradicted, feeling misery pool in the pit of her stomach. "My drug causes me to forget people."_

_He shot her an incredulous look._

"_Well, it's true," she argued._

_He swore under his breath, something that made her blush just slightly, and then took the towel back to wipe his already dry face. He __sighed and__ then said, "Woman, in the seven years I have known you, you have never, ever, forgotten me, or any of us on the team." He paused and leaned closer to her. "Even with a big ol' Forrest Gump worthy box of chocolate in front of you."_

_Penelope leaned closer and smiled at him. "You're too good to be true, Derek Morgan."_

_He didn't smile back. "You're too hard on yourself, Penelope Garcia," he answered. "Stop __that, or__ I'm gonna spank your __ass and__ then show you how you should be treating a goddess."_

"_Promises, promises," she drawled, with an even bigger grin, before winking at him._

_For a moment, he stared at her, the dark chocolate tones in his eyes glinting with __something that took her breath away and made little curling spirals of something swirl in her tummy, but as soon as it started, it was gone._

_He shook his __head and__ then tapped her nose. "I gotta hit the showers."_

"_Okay," she whispered, as he stood and walked away._

That did lead her to thinking a lot about the past few weeks. As she watched Kevin, absorbed with some sort of world domination/war/battle role playing game, she thought about how she had been there, far more often than not. She thought about her thinking, and that maybe—just maybe—she was being too hard on herself.

Had she let her own disapproval over her excessive consumption of chocolate color her thinking and make her feel even worse about how she'd treated Kevin? Even worse, had Kevin played into that thinking? Shaking her head, she knew that wasn't it. Kevin wasn't the kind that manipulated.

Still...she was curious about a couple of things...

"Kevin," she said softly, coming up in front of him.

Absorbed into his game, Kevin didn't even notice her approach. She watched him, tapping away at the keyboard, his eyes alight with a passionate fire she rarely saw anymore. As she watched him, she smiled. She liked to see him happy and inspired. There had been times she'd thought about asking him to limit his time on his game and his laptop when he came to visit, because he did have a tendency to get too involved, but she wouldn't want to deny—

It hit her, like a lightening bolt from the sky.

"Kevin," she said a little more sharply.

Still no response.

Finally, she yelled, "Kevin!"

"Wh-What?" he asked, looking up at her with a glazed expression.

Placing her hands on her hips, she glared at him. "We need to talk."

Giving a huff of frustration, he glared back at her. "Penny, can it wait? I almost have Rome under my control..."

The look she was going for must've been successful. Less than a few seconds later, Kevin was closing his laptop.

"O-okay," he stammered. "We can t-talk."

Thinking that was much better, Penelope took a seat next to him on her purple loveseat and took a deep breath to calm herself. She then said softly, "Kevin...if I asked you not to play World Dot Com Dom—"

"World Dom Dot Com," he corrected, and then immediately said, "Sorry!"

She sighed heavily. "The question was more important than the name of the stupid game."

His jaw dropped open, and his eyes became huge. "Stupid game? Plum sauce, it's not a stupid game! It's strategy and tactile maneuvers and wit."

"It's taking time away from us," she said. They'd agreed to work on that recently. It had felt like they were growing apart, so they'd made a standing date and had promised each other more quality time for the sake of their relationship.

He frowned immediately. "I am here when I play it; how is that taking time away from us?"

"I had to call your name three times before you responded," she said.

"You did?" he commented, obviously surprised. "I didn't know that."

She nodded. "You are just as addicted to that game as I was to chocolate."

He shook his head adamantly. "No, I am not."

She nodded again, sharply. "Yes. Yes, you are."

Narrowing his eyes, he said, "Well, at least my addiction is good for me."

She chuckled at the absurdity. "How is that possibly good for you?"

Raising his chin, he said seriously, "Because of all the strategy and thinking I have to do, I will never get Alzheimer's."

Her jaw dropped, but she closed it quickly. "Kevin...even if that was true, it is an unhealthy addiction for our relationship."

"How is that?" he asked, and before she could respond, he said, "I mean, I am ready to go out when you say go out, I am here with you, sitting by your side." He paused and looked at her again. "We're togethe, so I don't see what the problem is."

The look on his face was utter confusion. He hadn't a clue what was wrong. That they didn't converse when he was on the computer, that he didn't even notice if she left to go to get her mail or if she fell asleep. They weren't together, no matter what he thought, even if they were in the same room or side by side.

It made her wonder if they were distant on other things, too.

"If I asked you to give up World Dom Dot Com for me, for the sake of our relationship, would you do it?" she asked softly.

Kevin frowned sharply, looking pained. He looked very upset...but he didn't answer. She'd had to answer that same question about chocolate...and it hadn't taken her forever to respond.

Standing, she said, "Kevin, I think it is best if you go."

Nodding, he said, "Okay. We can talk another night."

She shook her head. "No. Just go."

"Penelope..." he said, looking stricken.

"Please, go."

He hissed out a sigh as he reached the doorway. "Fine. I'll give up my game, if that's what it takes."

"No need," she said, shutting the door in his face. This time, she wouldn't reopen it for him...not ever again.

And then the chocolate craving hit.


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: Thanks so much! I was hoping to be up to Valentine's Day by now, but I am running a wee bit behind. Forgive me, please!..._

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Derek was just about ready to throw the frozen pizza he'd picked out into the oven. It was supposed to taste like delivery, but judging from the skimpy toppings and anemic looking crust, he had a feeling it wasn't going to be anything like Rocco's. He liked Rocco's pizza. It was a good, top heavy pie, and it was where he ordered from anytime Penelope came over to his place.

He felt an immediate stir in his groin and he chuckled slightly. His addled brain had put together _top heavy_ and _Penelope_, and he knew it wasn't on purpose. He had one train of thought all of the time...and it pulled up at Garcia station. He couldn't even escape in his dreams.

Since he'd started this chocolate challenge with Penelope, life had thrown him the curve ball it always did. He was falling even more in love with her. Spending additional time on little fake dates to cheer her up had him on fire for her and proved to him one thing: he'd never get over her.

What was it about her that made him so crazy? Part of it was her warmth—the way she cared for him and the team, bringing little treats to make them all smile. She had a heart unlike any other person he'd ever met, pure and sweet with an unending capacity to love.

Part of it was her beauty; he'd always been partial to blondes with big breasts and sultry lips. Then again, he loved her with red hair, and even loved her with the raven tresses she'd worn in the last play he'd seen her in.

Part of it was her sense of humor; she was so quick witted and a tremendous flirt, just like he was. They were on the same wavelength so often, goin' strong for seven years. He smiled to himself. They were an incredible pair.

But they weren't.

She had her Lynch. All the extra time they were spending together had nothing to do with wanting to be with him and everything to do with winning over Lynch. They weren't a pair, no matter how much he wanted it...now or four years ago.

Groaning, Derek ran his hand over his face. As an expert in obsessional crimes, he knew darn well he was starting to border on unhealthy, at least to his own heart. She loved him; she always would. He needed to accept the kind of love she had to give and stop thinking about anything more.

Justin Bieber's _Baby_ began playing in his pocket. He shook his head and grinned. Penelope had chosen that ringtone for him because it was, in her words, "A. My nickname, sort of. And B. We both hate this song, so you will answer it more quickly than if I chose a good _Baby_ song."

Damn clever, his girl...

Reaching for the phone, he said, "Yeah, Baby?"

"You mean _Baby, Baby, Baby oh_?" the familiar voice teased on the other line.

"Maybe I switched it," he drawled, a question in his voice. "Maybe I changed it to _Baby Got __Back_ and am kickin' it old school."

"You didn't," she said simply, and he could practically see her tilting her head in her all-knowing fashion. "You leave all your techie gizmo gadget set up things for me to do, and then you never change them."

He grinned. "Guilty as charged."

"See? No pulling the wool over this girl's eyes."

"I stand corrected," he said. "What did you call for?"

"Oh, D!" she cried, her voice sounding very upset—enough to make him frown and tense immediately. "I am having a Hershey withdrawal, and I don't know if I want to."

"What happened?" he asked, ready to spring out of the house.

"Kevin," she said with a huff. "We broke up."

"I'm sorry," he lied. Even if he never had the opportunity to date her, he was still glad Lynch was out of the picture, and hoped he really was this time.

About two months ago, Penelope had called him hammered, saying she was through with Lynch. He'd gone over to her place, but hadn't done anything but comfort her. The next day, Lynch had been back, and Penelope had been odd and remorseful towards him. Immediately, he'd backed off, even if his heart broke in a million pieces. He was cautious if he was anything, and he needed to hear this out before he got his hope up.

"You must be very sad."

"Actually...I'm not," she said, surprise evident in her tone, as if it was the first time she'd thought about it. "I mean, I should be, but I'm not. Isn't that weird?"

She really didn't sound too upset, quite the difference from the sobbing mess two months ago he'd dealt with. "What are you, then, P?"

She snorted. "I'm pissed. That's what I am."

Derek clenched his fists, anger rising inside of him. Whatever Lynch did to tick off his baby girl, he hoped it was satisfying. No one pissed off his baby. Hell, no. Derek was ready to take Lynch out on her command. In fact, he'd relish the opportunity.

"What happened?" he asked again.

"It's weird, D. It really is..."

As her voice trailed off, he growled, "Penelope..."

"Okay, my sugar lump," she said, and from her tone, he could tell she was much more ready to tell her story. "It really started last night at the gym with you. I listened to what you said, and it stuck with me."

He froze, a touch concerned about that conversation. "What did I say?"

She sighed. "That I was being too hard on myself."

"How did that relate to Lynch?" he asked, completely confused.

"If you'd let me tell the story, I'd explain," she said with a huff.

Internally, he growled. She'd been pausing and putzing quite a bit herself, but he didn't mention it. "Proceed, sweetness."

"Anyway, as I thought about that, I realized you were right, that I was being hard on myself and that might have colored how I thought of things and how I treated Kevin," she said. "And then I saw Kevin playing his stupid computer game he's addicted to, and I thought of the similarities. So I asked him to give it up for me..."

As her voice trailed off again, Derek could guess how it all turned out. "Baby, I am really sorry," he said, and he meant it that time.

"It's okay," she said. "Really, it made me mad, thinking that all along, here I was willing to give up something I loved for him, and he wasn't for me. It wasn't fair. I didn't count more than that stupid game—and it is a stupid game, no matter what he says!"

"It's damn stupid," Derek said softly, "and he is, too, to let you slip away."

"Aww, D," she answered, and he could hear the tears in her voice. "Thanks so much...for everything."

"My pleasure, Penelope."

"I feel much better now," she added. "No longer a chocolate 9-1-1."

For a moment, that made him smile, and then he was confused again. "P...why was there a chocolate emergency?"

"I was craving chocolate."

He chuckled. "Sweetheart, if you're not with Lynch anymore, then you don't need to hold back from chocolate, right?"

"Actually, lava lips, I decided I am still going to give up chocolate," she answered resolutely. "I kinda like not feeling controlled by chocolate."

"Wow," he replied, rather shocked at her decision to continue to sacrifice. Then he thought about it, and understanding hit. "I mean, I get it...it's all related to your moods."

"Come again?" she asked.

"When you're bored, sad, or angry, you want chocolate," he explained. "Finding replacements worked for you, so you're not going to be addicted anymore."

"Ooh!" she gushed. "You're right. I think I have this kicked!"

He chuckled at her joy. "That you do, Baby."

"So now all I need to find is someone who makes me happy, not bored, and doesn't tick me off, and I should be good." She laughed. "Know anyone like that you can set me up with?"

Hell, yes, he did! He looked at him in the mirror daily when he was shaving...but of course her thoughts didn't go that way.

Before he could answer, Penelope continued, "D?"

"What, sweetheart?"

"If I get cravings, can I still call you?" she asked. "I mean, I'm new to all this, and well...I don't want to fail."

"Anytime," he said.

"Thanks, angelfish," she answered after a pause. "I love you, Derek."

"Go to bed, silly girl."

Shortly thereafter, Derek went to bed, too, but he didn't sleep. He had a lot of planning to do.


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: Thanks so much for the reviews! I am sorry I am late on answering-I have bronchitis!...I didn't want you to have to wait for more story, however, so...here we go..._

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

It was going on another week, her willpower was going strong, and she had virtually no cravings whatsoever. Penelope had only had one situation where she'd felt like she'd been tempted and needed to call Derek. It appeared that the old adage "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" wasn't exactly true, at least when it came to chocolate.

However, it was very true when it came to people…Derek, in particular. She actually missed her chocolate cravings—it gave her an excuse to spend time with her one and only master of mocha maleness.

So, she began "faking it"...chocolate cravings, that is. Just so she could go on dates with her best friend.

They had their usual blast together, laughing and joking, teasing while they had dinner or saw a movie or just doing random things. Each time, she felt herself falling a little further, a little harder, under Derek Morgan's magical spell. Their last date confirmed it for her...and it was playing mini-golf at an eighteen hole course that had a big windmill on it...

_ It was rather crowded at the _PutPut Hut_, which surprised Penelope, considering it was a Thursday night. Who knew that many people mini-golfed?_

_"Oh, oh," he said, tsking as he stepped up to the next hole. "This could be trouble."_

_She paused in her gawking at the enormous Pink and Yellow windmill, and then smiled over at him. "What?"_

"_Windmills remind you of Dutch cocoa?" he asked, taking her club from her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Can you handle it, or is it a dangerous place to be?"_

_As the warmth of his arms penetrated her whole body and made her dizzy and __excited, she realized a__ mini golf course was not the only dangerous place around! However, she decided to tease and have some fun, too. After all, he couldn't be serious. Not at a mini-golf course!_

"_With my noir knight," she said, looping her arms around his __neck, "I__ can handle anything."_

_Smiling softly, a warm glow in his so addicting chocolate gaze, he leaned forward..._

"_Hey!" a stern looking middle aged man in plaid shorts snapped, causing her to startle. "Are you going to play through?"_

"_Not until I'm done," Derek said, glaring over at the man. He looked back at her, and then kissed her forehead, just like he always did. "There."_

_Even as her forehead tingled, she realized nothing changed. In the entire seven years she'd known him, he continued to tease her, and she went back to dreaming fantasies about him. _

_It was like reaching for the moon._

_Before she could be too melancholy, he grinned brilliantly at her. "Come on, baby. Let's battle this beast together."_

Her heart ached with the memory. Of course, she'd had it wrong that day, but it didn't seem to matter. She still had it bad.

It wasn't just because he was dreamy to look at, although that was true. Not many forty-year-old men looked anything at all like her very hot Hot Stuff. He was uncommonly lovely. It wasn't just his sense of humor. The way he made her smile when she didn't feel like smiling, or laugh when she didn't think she could laugh. It wasn't only his caring and compassionate nature. He was warm and loving, unlike any other person she knew. He would hold her, and everything became better. Nothing was too bad when she was in Derek's arms.

Instead, it was a combination of…Derek.

Everything about him was wonderful. She'd known that forever. He was her Prince Charming, the man she'd dreamed about at night—always—sweet, romantic dreams and dark and sexy dreams. She knew better. Derek was her impossibly unobtainable best friend, and she'd had Kevin. She was supposed to be dreaming about her boyfriend, and she blamed her crazy sleeping mind for that.

That didn't quite explain her daydreams about Derek. Her daydreams were of a different variety. The hot, sultry, naked daydreams that only very bad girls had. Lingering touches and scorching kisses kind of daydreams. Backseat rocking, kitchen table jarring, bed squeaking kind of daydreams that made her pant and blush.

She was decidedly a bad, bad girl.

Oh, how she'd felt guilty as sin for that over the years! However, without Kevin, she was free to dream away, guilt-free…and clothes free, most likely!

As she sat at her desk in her lair, staring blankly at her babies, her mind began to wander. They were back in the gym, and although it was normally a very crowded place, it was like it was only the two of them. As she closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair, everyone else faded away to nothingness in her mind...

_Sitting on the weight bench across from her, his tank top wet from perspiration like it usually was, she couldn't help but stare at the way the fabric clung to his body._

"_Want to touch?" he murmured, his voice a low rumble that gave her goose bumps and raised tingles of anticipation._

_She nodded and licked her lips._

_His smile was slow, deliberate, spreading across his face like he spread his hands. "Then come and get it..."_

_Reaching for his shirt, she tugged __at the material, but__ couldn't remove __it. Before__ she could become frustrated, he took the tank and __ripped__ the fabric down the middle, baring his gorgeous chest._

_Groaning in satisfied frustration, she sighed as she reached her hands out to touch him._

"_Oh, no," he said, reaching for her. "You, too. I wanna touch you, too..." He reached for her, and her shirt that normally took a good five minutes to button up went flying off in a heartbeat, as did her bra. "Oh, hell, yes..."_

_She sighed __as he cupped__ her breasts in his hands, toying with her nipples until they were erect, and then moaned as he rolled them between her fingers._

"Oh...oh, God..." she groaned.

"Baby Girl?"

Penelope's eyes flew open as the object of her dirty daydream stood in her door way. "D-Derek! Wh-What are you doing there?"

Smirking slightly, he said, "You were making a lot of noise...I thought I'd investigate."

Flushing guiltily, she said, "It-It isn't what you—"

"Easy, Baby Girl," he said, putting his hands up in a calming fashion as he approached her. "I thought I was right, but I can tell that I was wrong."

Immediately, Penelope began to frown. "What did you think?"

Flashing his million-watt smile that she loved so much, he said, "You didn't sneak off and buy some chocolate. Last time you were making noises like that, it was over a Hershey—"

"Lindt," she interrupted. "Lindt truffles. Big difference. Big. _Huge._"

He shook his head and chuckled. "Pardon me for that misstep."

She groaned internally. Good Lord, she sounded like Kevin with his addiction, correcting over a name. She blanched. "I'm sorry, honey."

"Hey, that's okay," he said, stepping even closer and placing his hands on her shoulders. "You're stressed, P. You've been through a lot lately."

As he began rubbing her shoulders, she began to relax. Like molten chocolate, she melted into his hands. She nodded her agreement. "I have."

"It's only natural you'd be fantasizing..."

That surprised her completely. She stiffened under his hands and tried to turn and look at him, but then he continued.

"...about chocolate. It's what you've been wanting and needing for days now."

"Yes," she answered.

"You've been such a good girl," he praised, caressing and rubbing her neck, his fingers tickling the fine hairs at the nape of her neck.

"I have?" she asked, her voice sounding drugged and lazy, even to her own ears.

"Mmm hmm, you have," he said with a soft chuckle. "It's been a long time, sweet sugar momma..."

She stifled a whimper. Far, far too long...

"Especially right before Valentine's Day," he added. He cupped her face in his hands and tipped her head back to look at him. "Who doesn't think about that before Valentine's?"

Viewing him upside down just added to the surreal feeling of the moment. So much so, she forgot what he was talking about. "Think about wh-what?"

He grinned at her again. "Chocolate, sweetheart. I think you've gone too long without chocolate."

Tensing again, she said, "Maybe I have."

It was true... Right now, she could go for a big chocolate sundae with brownies and a chocolate doughnut to dip inside the sauce...

Five of them.

"So I am thinking," he drawled. "I would like to treat you to some chocolate."

She turned in her chair. "Derek—"

"Don't worry," he interjected. "I won't let you go overboard."

"I don't know," she said cautiously, afraid for her heart and her chocolate challenge.

"A treat. A special day. On Valentine's Day," he argued with the strength of a defense lawyer. "You, me, my place. Dinner, maybe a movie...and chocolate."

"Hot Stuff..."

"Hey, I need a date this Valentine's," he said, picking up her hand. He kissed her wrist and added, "And I only want you. Say yes, Baby Girl."

Her heart ached in her chest. He'd been so wonderful to her. How could she refuse him?

"Yes, Baby Girl," she mocked with a smile, which earned her a big grin.

"Okay, then," he said, standing. "See you tomorrow night."

As he walked away, she whispered to herself. "Tomorrow?"

She'd completely forgotten.


	7. Chapter 7

_AN: Thanks so much for the reviews. I know it hasn't been easy to leave them with FF acting up!..._

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Penelope showed up at Derek's place exactly on time, presents in tow. She had a huge, heart-shaped box of candy and some flowers for him. It was silly, really, since he wasn't her boyfriend, but she couldn't help herself. It was so sweet of him to want to spend Valentine's with her.

She was dressed the part, too. She was wearing a red sweater with a sweetheart neckline and a cupid on the shoulder, a black pencil skirt, red tights with little hearts embossed on them, and her sturdy, patent leather Mary Jane stilettos. Atop her head was a red marabou headband with two glittery hearts attached on springs jutting upward.

"Well, look at you, Miss Festive," Derek said as he opened the door. He let his eyes wander over her before giving a sad little shake of his head. "I missed all of this today, huh?"

Derek had been at a seminar designed for lead profilers for most of the day. By the time she'd reached the office, he'd already left with Rossi and the Boss Man.

"Yes, you did," she said, stepping inside. She started to slide off her jacket, and as usual, Derek was behind her and his hands were at her shoulders, assisting and making short work of the removal. She felt his hands linger for just a minute, giving a little squeezing massage.

"Teaches me to get my priorities straight," he murmured, and then sneaked in to kiss her cheek softly. "Next time, I'll skip."

A riot of goose pimples broke out on her arms and down her neck at that little contact, and she willed herself not to gasp like a ninny. He'd already released her by the time she felt it was safe to turn.

"For me?" he asked when she finally turned.

She stared at him blankly. Goodness, he was stunning...

He grinned at her and winked. "The flowers you're holding…"

"Oh! Yes!" Knowing she was redder than her sweater, she thrust the rather mangled bouquet with the bumble bee on top.

"_Bee mine_," he said, reading the little ornament in the center. His smile was devastatingly appealing. "Okay…I'm yours."

She watched him, saw the warmth in his eyes, along with the teasing glint that was always present. Laughing, she said, "Some of this stuff is so corny."

He paused a second and then simply smiled again. "Come on, momma…I got a lot of goodies for you."

As he started to walk away, she found herself staring after him, watching his every move. His dark trousers defined his perfectly sculpted butt, and his heavy white sweater looked so touchable.

Swallowing the embarrassing pool of saliva in her mouth, she quickly started to follow. "I do, too. I have more presents."

"I see that," he said, gesturing to the heart-shaped box with the silky ribbon on top.

"This one seemed fitting," she said, excited to hand him that present.

Derek read the ribbon out loud. "Hot Stuff." Chuckling, he opened the box.

"Notice it's not chocolate," she said with a grin of her own. "Cinnamon red hots for my hot stuff."

He took a couple of the little round candies and popped them into his mouth. "You know what these remind me of?"

"What?"

"Maybelline-Anne Nelson." At her blank look, he continued. "Fifth grade. I was kind of shy back then, but I was bound and determined to kiss my first girl."

Penelope smiled, but her heart ached just a touch, too. Of course a present she got him would remind him of another girl…

"It was before recess, and I was starving, certain that my breath was foul, too," he explained. "So, I popped my mouth full of cinnamon red hots, ran out on the playground, and planted my lips on poor Maybelline-Anne."

She giggled. "That had to surprise her."

"Me, too," he said with a twisted smirk. "I didn't realize that they would make my mouth water, so right after I kissed her, I drooled on the poor girl. We were both covered in red wetness."

Penelope was laughing by the time he was done. "Oh, man, Hot Stuff…that's awful."

"Not always as suave as I am now, was I?" His million watt smile lit up the room, and he stepped closer to her. "Well, I promised myself I would learn from that experience, and if I ever kissed a girl with cinnamon red hots, I'd do it better…"

Before she knew what was happening, he pulled her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. It was a safe kiss, the kind you'd give a first date at the doorstep, but that didn't make it any less appealing. She could feel the warmth of his body and taste the sweet and cinnamon flavor of his lips.

Almost as quickly as it started, it ended. "Tell me…Have I improved?"

She looked up at him. "Yes, but you already knew that."

"No, I didn't. I haven't done that with another girl since that first time."

"Why?" she asked as her heart skipped a beat.

"Because I wanted something good attached to that candy that was just as memorable as that first time." He cupped her face in his hands and winked at her. "Thank you, baby, for helping me out."

As she watched him smiling at her, a dull frustration started in her gut. So much so, she wanted to scream. Lately, he'd teased her so much, making her want and wish and dream like she used to, and she knew she was so in love with him. She needed to get out of there before she made a fool of her self. Not tonight. Not on a day filled with love, when he didn't return it the way she wanted him to.

Suddenly, she felt like she was starving, too. She wanted to eat two dozen chocolate donuts, with chocolate frosting and chocolate jimmies. She wanted chocolate ice cream, with chocolate sauce, and chocolate brownies swirled in. She wanted…she wanted…

Before her thoughts concluded, he turned again and started heading toward the kitchen. "Take a seat," he called out once he disappeared from sight. "You can tell which spot is yours…"

On the table was a single red rose, sitting on top of a massive gold box wrapped in a red bow from one of her favorite chocolatiers.

"Ooooh! " she called out, running to the spot excitedly.

She picked up the flower, enjoyed the scent, placed it aside, and then tore into the chocolate box. She could hear Derek clanking around with dishes, and before she could feel too ashamed for giving in to temptation, she popped a chocolate in her mouth. Immediate gratification and pleasure swamped her body as the delicate chocolate melted on her tongue and coated her palate. Two seconds later, she crammed another, and another, into her mouth.

As she scarfed the chocolate, barely tasting the flavors in the pieces, she could feel it helping her. It was helping with her frustration. She wasn't so frustrated. She was getting relief, release. It wouldn't matter if she was alone tonight after this, she'd be okay. She…

Her stomach roiled as she looked down. She'd already eaten six pieces of the decadent treat, and now, she felt rather green. She wasn't used to rich chocolate anymore. In fact…it wasn't pleasing her like she'd hoped it would.

Derek stepped back into the room, carrying two salads with a light dressing on them. "Ah! You found your treat," he said with a grin. "Like it? It's supposed to be the best."

She took her napkin, wiped her mouth, and then said, "Umm...yes. It is the best. Thank you, Derek."

"Good," he said, putting the salad in front of her before taking the seat next to her. "Was it everything you dreamed it would be?"

Penelope wished she could rinse her mouth out. The cloying sweetness of the chocolate wouldn't taste good with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil D had put on the salad. "D…do you have any wine?"

Smiling, he reached for a bottle of pinot noir—her favorite—and then pulled the cork. He poured her a glass. "Here you go, Baby Girl."

Taking a sip of the wine, Penelope smiled to herself. That was much better! "Thank you."

He gave her an odd look. "The chocolate didn't suit you?"

She looked up at him and knew she had a guilty flush. She looked down at her hands, unable to meet his eyes. "Well…not really. I'm just not as hungry for chocolate as I thought I was."

When he didn't respond, she looked up at him and gasped. He was looking at her with such undeniable heat, it took her breath away.

"Really, Baby Girl?" he drawled, pushing his chair away from the table. "Then what _are_ you hungry for?"


	8. Chapter 8

_AN: Thanks so much for the reviews, guys! Here comes the finale to this story! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Next story is special; it has my Millionth Word on FF. It's a doozy...Stay tuned for it!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

**Warning: Strong Sexual Content**

Penelope knew the answer to the question she was about to ask. She knew it the second she saw the look on Derek's face...but she still asked it anyway.

"You weren't teasing, were you?" She began moving her chair back so that she could stand, too. Considering his answer could be life changing, she felt she needed to be on even ground and see things clearly. "This last week..."

He gave her another one of his devastating smiles as he began to round his dining room table. "No. I wasn't. Answer my question."

He was watching her so intently, like a panther stalking his prey. He was obvious, deliberate, and she knew deep down that she didn't stand a chance.

Interestingly enough, like the scared rabbit caught in the panther's trap, her heart was beating a million miles per hour. She was both fascinated and afraid, excited and nervous. So much so, she took a few steps backward.

"Ah...Hot Stuff?" she muttered anxiously. "Maybe we should talk about this?"

"No," he said shortly, coming even closer while she teetered precariously on her high heels. "Answer me, Penelope. What are you hungry for?"

She wanted to say, _You_. Oh, how she wanted to say that! But old habits, fears and insecurities, died hard.

Immediately, all the things that had made her choose Kevin so many years ago, rose quickly to the surface. People expected her to be with someone like Kevin; what on earth was she thinking of being with someone like Derek Morgan? He wasn't for her. He was perfect, and she...she was quirky and funny and anything but perfect.

It was like that moment a few weeks ago with Derek, glistening and wet, nearly naked in her apartment. She didn't know what to do with him then, either. He was the perfect dream, like wanting the moon—she never thought in a million years she'd get him.

So...now that she had the moon, what would she do with it?

She could tell what "the moon" wanted to do. One look at his aroused face, and she nearly melted in a puddle.

"D...you really don't want to do this. _We_ don't want to do this." She kept stepping backward, trying to escape, until she bumped against his wall, letting out an unexpected grunt.

"Oh, yes, I do," he said, narrowing his eyes at her. "I've wanted to do nothing less for the last seven years."

Ugh. That wouldn't do. She couldn't just sleep with him. Not with Derek. It would ruin everything. She'd want permanence, even worse, she'd want love, and he wouldn't want to give that to her and she would curl up into a ball and it would kill her. She knew he wouldn't; he was a player, she'd seen him with so many girls in the past.

And he kept approaching her. She wished he'd give her space so she could run like hell, and come up with a good reason not to sleep together. Because looking at him, he wasn't going to take _no_ for an answer.

"A fun affair?" she teased, trying unsuccessfully to lighten the situation. "I think we should—"

"Who said anything about an affair?"

She widened her eyes and looked at him with her heart in her throat. "Isn't that what you meant?"

"Hell, no," he said, standing in front of her so closely, she had to hold in her breath in order for their chests not to touch.

The intensity, tripled with the heat and strength of his gaze, made her stammer. "Wh-What did you mean?"

"What I meant, what I have wanted to do for the past seven years, is love you, like you deserve to be loved," he murmured, bringing one of his long fingers up to gently trace the side of her face. "Like my woman...no one else's."

Penelope's heart was skipping beats, and her breath was coming ragged as she fought tears. She met his eyes. "What about what other people think?"

He gave that slow smile again. "They'll be elated."

"No," she said, shaking her head. She looked away from him as she voiced her fear. "They won't. I've seen them at the gym, Derek...the women who look at me and think I don't belong with you. I've heard them whisper in the locker room..."

He swore sharply under his breath, something foul enough to make her take notice. "Ignore them."

"No!" she cried, looking back at him. Oh, how she wanted to ignore them, but she couldn't. She needed to run away and indulge in her Godiva®. Then life would be better. A few tears escaped. "They're right, Derek...you're perfect, and—"

She swallowed hard and looked away.

"Look at me." As she tried to remain looking away, he held her chin in his hand, keeping her gaze centered on him. "Sweetheart...those people, those idiots, are blind. They don't see the beauty, the pure magic that happens between us every day. We got red hot chemistry that's off the charts." He paused, giving her a look that dared her to deny it...she couldn't.

"As for me being perfect," he said with a chuckle. "I'm a forty-one-year-old, scarred and scared bachelor who's broken without his girl..."

While he spoke, her heart overflowed, and tears ran down her face. He cupped her face and gently brushed them away with his thumbs.

"I need my solace, my baby girl, my _goddess_ to make me whole. I've tried other girls, sweetness, and they're lacking something huge." He smiled softly at her, his face filled with love and need. "The name Penelope Garcia."

"Oh, Derek!" she cried, launching herself into his arms. "I love you, too."

Wrapping her in his arms, he held her close and said into her hair, "You asked me to be yours, girl. Be my fierce goddess I fell in love from the word _hello_; don't go back on your word now."

"Never," she answered. "I said it once before: I don't care who knows...it's always been you."

She felt him chuckle, and then he reached for her face again. His dark loving eyes scanned over her appreciatively, and she immediately felt a rush of heat as he said, "Penelope...you still didn't answer me. What are you hungry for? Are you still hungry, baby?"

Looping her arms around his neck, she replied, "For you? I'm famished..."

This time, she rose on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. His answering response was to fold her against his upper arm and begin kissing her like she'd only dreamed of being kissed. His lips, warm and firm against hers, coaxed hers into opening, and she began to melt into the kiss.

Truly, for someone who'd been in a long term relationship, Penelope thought she knew a lot about kisses and making love. She had a feeling Derek was about to toss all of that out the window. She lost herself to the intensity, arching against him, kissing him back with an enthusiasm she didn't even know she had. Each tender stroke of his tongue, each possessive lick drove her a little more breathless, a little more crazy.

The heat exploded between them. One moment, she was trading tender kisses; the next, he was pressing her against his wall and claiming her mouth, making her limbs quake in response. She felt like she was on fire with need.

He pressed his hips against hers, and she felt her body pulse in response. That only inflamed her more.

She dug her fingers into his sweater, wanting to feel the muscles she'd dreamed about, as he continued kissing her, trailing kisses down the line of her throat.

As she reached bare skin, he growled, "That's it, Baby Girl...touch me."

Penelope let her fingers linger on his lean waist, trailing her palms on the hard muscles that lined his ribs. He was sleek, smooth, and so hot. He felt fever hot to her, although she herself was burning up.

Before she could touch any more, Derek latched his mouth onto a pulse point on her neck that caused her to see stars. She moaned—loudly—as he licked, teased, and even bit the spot playfully. She gripped him tightly as he laved his way up her neck to seize her mouth yet again.

"More," she whispered, tugging at his sweater, trying to remove it as she gave in to his kisses.

Derek complied, stepping away and yanking the offending article of clothing off. She was face to face with those gorgeous, rippling pectorals that always looked so edible to her. To prove a point to herself, she leaned forward and licked his flat, brown nipple.

"_Damn_, sweetheart!" he swore. A moment later, she was scooped up into his arms and he was carrying her through his house.

They kissed the entire way, past a happily barking Clooney, who had been shocked awake when her shoes flew off in the hallway by Derek's bedroom. Stepping inside, he slid her to her feet and began making very quick work of her clothes. Her sweater went flying, along with her skirt and tights. With a quick, one-handed movement, he removed her bra and sent that in a completely different direction. Then he stepped back to admire his handiwork.

"Oh, hell, yes," he whispered with delight as he watched her standing before him, nearly naked.

Any insecurities that might have remained would've fled with the look on his face, but they were already long gone. In fact, she thrust her chest forward and said teasingly, "I take it you like what you see?"

Instead of answering her, he nearly pounced on her, making her giggle at his enthusiasm. He lay on top of her on the bed, touching, kissing everything he came in contact with. He cupped her breasts in his hands, ran his face between them as he held them together, and then kissed a mole she had just under the left breast. She kissed him, too, licking the other nipple, kissing her way to the sweet indent of his belly button while she worked the button on his pants. With Derek's help, his pants and boxers went flying, too, freeing them both to explore each other fully. She grasped and stroked him as he caressed her with delicate, yet deliberate touches.

All of the sweet exploration soon gave way to desperation and need. Penelope arched beneath him as he positioned himself between her thighs. A moment later, he drove home, slow and sure, a coming together that was seven years in the making. Each heavenly stroke took her breath away, each press of his hips, each drive into her body brought her closer to ecstasy. They were truly a part of one another, truly complete, and she never wanted it to end.

As the pace changed, as they both moved closer and closer to the pinnacle, Penelope gasped and felt herself coming apart. It was like she'd reached for the stars and caught one as the tremors shook her body. She held tight to him as he shook and groaned her name against her neck.

"I love you," she whispered, when she finally had breath enough to speak.

Rolling to her side, he tucked her near him and said, "I love you, too."

She sighed contentedly. "I'm so happy."

He mumbled something that sounded like agreement and then yawned hugely.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Derek." She grinned up at him, happy and sleepy, too, while she traced circles on his tummy. "By the way, you were right again...this chocolate was far more satisfying..."

He chuckled, gave her a kiss, and then tucked her closer. "Silly girl...go to sleep."

And she did.


End file.
